1. Field
Embodiments relate to a battery module and a battery pack including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, secondary batteries are chargeable and dischargeable unlike primary batteries, which are not chargeable. Secondary batteries may be used as energy sources for, e.g., mobile devices, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, electric bicycles, and uninterruptible power supply devices. Secondary batteries may be used in the form of a single battery or in the form of a battery module in which a plurality of batteries are electrically connected and packed as a single unit, according to the type of an external device in which the secondary batteries are to be used.
Small-sized devices such as mobile phones may be operated for a predetermined amount of time by using power output by and capacity of a single battery. On the other hand, battery modules may be usually used instead of a single battery in devices such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles consuming large amounts of power for a long time, since power output and capacity of a single battery may be insufficient. An output voltage and an output current of a battery module depends on the number of batteries accommodated therein.
In such battery modules, an assembly structure may be required to systematically bind a plurality of batteries to form a single assembly. The assembly structure may need to provide a coupling force sufficient for binding the plurality of batteries. Lithium ion batteries may be used as the secondary batteries. While lithium ion batteries may maintain a high performance even after repeated charging and discharging, a negative electrode thereof may expand due to lithium ions that are transferred during charging.